A jade group of a stag and a feline

Ming dynasty, 16th century
Height: 3 in (7.7 cm) excluding stand
Length: 4 1/8 in (10.4 cm)

This is a superb jade carving, both in how the stone was worked by the carver and the meaning that can be extracted from it. A feline, probably a female, carved out of white nephrite, is placed along a stag sitting in the opposite direction, the latter carved out of the speckled part of the jade that gives the stag color and texture.

In terms of symbolism, we have predator and prey, the ying and yang reinforced by the probable opposite gender of the creatures. Along with it, we have the paradoxical symbolism of the sprays each beast is carrying: the predator carries a spray of ephemeral, daisy-like flowers, while the stag (the prey) carries a spray of lingzhi, the symbol of long life or immortality. The group rests on its own fitted wooden stand.

Provenance: The Tianhe Shanfang collection

Published: Asiantiques, Chinese Works of Art (2009), cat. no. 8

Ref. 858231

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